
Graham Clark
Music Correspondent
P.ublished 3rd December 2013
arts
Basement Jaxx - Manchester Apollo
With a gymnast, a robot, a gorilla and a ballerina on stage it could only be one thing - the Basement Jaxx are back in town.
The duo has been away from the touring circuit for a while but they certainly let us know why we have missed them so much. Felix Buxton and Simon Ratcliffe reshaped the dance scene over the last 10 years. Whilst newer kids on the block such as Chase and Status and Rudimental owe a lot to Basement Jaxx, there is no denying that the duo have written some of the best dance tracks over the last decade.
The gig starts with one of the guest vocalists appearing in the balcony as she performs a new track, We R Not Alone. She soon joins her other singing partner on stage as the crowd join the rest of the band in party mode.
Good Luck and Red Alert follow showing the music still sounds as good as it did back in the day. With several outlandish costume changes from the two, shall we say, well made singers, subtle is not what you get at a Basement Jaxx gig!
Romeo starts off as a ballad before it transforms into the regular track everyone knows. A ballerina dances across the stage whilst the band performs Just like Raindrops.
The robot appears on stage too, adding an Iron Maiden touch to the show, Maiden have their mascot Eddie, whilst the Jaxx now have the robot! Where Your Head At is greeted by the audience like a long lost friend. Even the dancing gorilla on stage seemed tamed. The gymnast/vocalist kicks her legs high into the air as Do Your Thing leaves everyone on a high.
Felix comes to the front of the stage to get the crowd singing along to a new track Power to the People before the gig ends. If it sounds like a party, it definitely was and one which I can't wait to go to again. Superb.